Study Plan

AWS Solutions Architect 3-Month Study Plan

AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)

12 weeks15 hrs/week
Foundation
Weeks 1-3

Core services and concepts

  • Complete AWS Cloud Practitioner content (even if not taking exam)
  • Deep dive into EC2, VPC, S3, IAM
  • Set up personal AWS account and practice
  • Watch Stephane Maarek or Adrian Cantrill course intro sections
Core Services
Weeks 4-7

Key services in depth

  • Master RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora
  • Learn ELB, Auto Scaling, Route 53
  • Study Lambda, API Gateway, Step Functions
  • Understand SQS, SNS, EventBridge
Advanced & Integration
Weeks 8-10

Complex architectures

  • Study multi-tier and microservices architectures
  • Learn disaster recovery patterns
  • Master security services (KMS, WAF, Shield)
  • Understand cost optimization strategies
Practice & Review
Weeks 11-12

Exam preparation

  • Take 4-6 full practice exams
  • Review all wrong answers thoroughly
  • Re-read AWS whitepapers (Well-Architected, Security)
  • Focus on weak areas identified in practice tests
Recommended Resources

Video Courses

  • Stephane Maarek (Udemy)
  • Adrian Cantrill
  • A Cloud Guru

Practice Tests

  • Tutorials Dojo
  • Whizlabs
  • Official AWS Practice Exam

Documentation

  • AWS Well-Architected Framework
  • AWS FAQs for each service
  • AWS Whitepapers
Pro Tips
  • 1.Hands-on practice is non-negotiable - use AWS Free Tier
  • 2.Don't memorize - understand WHY each service exists
  • 3.Practice tests should feel harder than the real exam
  • 4.Read each question twice before answering

Ready to start studying?

Get the complete guide with tips, resources, and FAQs.

View AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) Guide